Acne Creams We Swear By for a Clear Complexion

Consistent breakouts can be so frustrating. Sure, spot treatments do the trick if you're hiding in your apartment on #SelfCareSunday, but for those who need to tend to blemishes around the clock, you might want to supercharge your entire skincare routine. Selecting moisturizers and creams infused with acne-fighting ingredients is a super simple way to ensure your skin is soaking up quality essentials throughout the day. Read on for our picks of the best acne creams you need in your blemish-battling arsenal.

It's a common misconception that those with oily skin shouldn't moisturize. If your acne comes with a side of oil, this is your best bet for a daily moisturizer. It contains panadoxine, a vitamin B-6 derivative that improves skin’s overall healthy balance by visually minimizing pore size and shine.

Neutrogena offers affordable solutions for acne that soothe the skin and smell amazing. Like its cleansing counterpart, the Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer banishes blemishes thanks to the inclusion of salicylic acid and grapefruit oil. It's gentle enough to use daily, and it imparts the right amount of hydration, even for oily skin, to keep it looking soft, smooth, and acne-free.

This pick is on the pricey end, but we swear by it. Beyond its ingredients (like hyaluronic acid and peptides) being safe for acne-sufferers, Lancer's Nourish cream is a trusted all-in-one treatment that'll improve the look of fine lines, texture, discoloration, and pore size. It's a worthy investment for your routine!

A true multitasker, this cream by Jan Marini is formulated with a unique combination of glycolic, salicylic, and azelaic acids. It's designed to address multiple skin concerns — including acne, skin discoloration, rosacea, lines and wrinkles, tone and texture, acne scarring, and more!

Clearasil's acne cream will zap those extremely pesky zits within 4 hours! We love this option for an affordable spot treatment cream that you can layer over your full-face acne cream for some extra support in the blemish department.

Fast-acting benzoyl peroxide is the star of PCA Skin's Acne Cream. We know first-hand that this power ingredient stops acne in its tracks, and we absolutely recommend it for anyone struggling with breakouts. To avoid any dryness associated with the acne treatment, PCA infused this cream with a potent blend of botanicals to ensure skin stays smooth.

We live for the TreeActiv range of acne-fighting products. An affordable Amazon discovery, this potent cream is packed with blemish-busting ingredients like tea tree oil, peppermint water, vitamin E, and jojoba oil. This unique blend unclogs pores, replenishes skin's moisture, balances surface oils, and stimulates collagen production to keep those breakouts at bay.

Mario Badescu's iconic Drying Lotion is one of our favorite spot treatments, so think of this as its acne cream counterpart. It utilizes sulfur, which boasts natural oil-absorbing and clarifying properties. It also includes zinc oxide, a natural mineral that helps absorb excess oils.

An Amazon best-selling favorite, this acne cream by Keeva works wonders on blemished, acne-ridden skin. Packed with a powerhouse blend of literally every ingredient you could hope for to battle blemishes, the mixture of shea butter, rosehip seed oil, salicylic acid, vitamin E, and tea tree oil will give your skin new life.

The Vie Naturelle acne cream combines the power of benzoyl peroxide with the healing effects of essential oils. It also boasts an impressive blend of other breakout-banishing ingredients like witch hazel, tea tree leaf, and shea butter.

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Katie McBroomBeauty EditorKatie is an award-winning blogger and beauty editor based in New York City, where she currently oversees all things beauty and truly loves swatching lippies in the name of research; her work has also appeared in publications including The Huffington Post, Giuliana Rancic’s FabFitFun, and BuzzFeed.